Looking to reach out to the hard-hit footwear industry as the effects of COVID-19 continue to negatively impact run specialty and other footwear retail, Tecnica has entered into a partnership with Two Ten Footwear Foundation – an organization dedicated to providing emergency financial assistance to U.S. footwear employees who are in crisis.

For every pair of Tecnica shoes sold in the U.S. between June 10 and July 31, Tecnica will donate $10 to the foundation’s COVID-19 Crisis Relief Fund, which aids footwear employees and their families that have been affected by the global health pandemic.
“As a brand, Tecnica is very much committed to specialty retailers,” explains Tecnica North American marketing director Frank Shine. “These shops are our partners and the people who work there, our friends. We believe the products and services they provide are invaluable to the outdoor community, so naturally we want to do anything we can to help them get through these difficult times.”

The giveback program includes Tecnica’s entire collection of technical trail boots and shoes — Forge, Plasma and Origin. The family brand, deeply rooted in the manufacture of performance footwear, hopes one silver lining to come from this global crisis is a long-term increase in participation of outdoor sports.

“Two Ten is thankful to Tecnica for their support and their generosity,” says Shawn Osborne, president and CEO of Two Ten Footwear Foundation. “With nearly 60 percent of footwear employees in the U.S. currently unemployed, footwear families are experiencing an unprecedented need that will eclipse $3 million in crisis relief over a 90-120 day period, and a ripple effect of an additional $5 million or more in the 12 months to follow.
“This is unlike anything the Foundation has experienced in its 80-year history, but with support from companies like Tecnica, we will be able to help these families keep a roof overhead and food on the table,” Osborne adds.

“While the economic impact of the pandemic has been grave, our hope is that if we can get through it together, our industry will come out of it stronger,” Shine continues. “People are ready to get outside. And we think after experiencing lockdowns, will only appreciate their time in nature more and turn to specialty independent retailers to equip them to do so.”

For a list of retail partners: tecnicasports.com